A Lung and Healthy Life - Page 3
Asthma
Asthma is another common respiratory condition, and its implications for aging are important. In some ways, the final pathway for many diseases is in the lungs.
Asthma is a complex disease that can be caused by a mix of factors, including everything from dust mites and local toxin levels to genetics (kids have at least a 25% chance of developing asthma if their parents have allergies). But even if you inherited asthma, you can go a long way toward controlling its symptoms and the disabling effects of chronic inflammation caused by frequent acute attacks.
The ABCs of Asthma
It all starts when pollen or another allergen works its way down your airway, sneaks past the cilia, and sticks to your lungs. In response to the foreign matter, your body sends immune cells to the area. When they attach to the pollen, they explode like a grenade and call in more white blood cells to investigate.
That migration of white blood cells to the area causes inflammation and mucus to accumulate in the lungs. When that happens, the muscles in the area become red, swollen, and more likely to go into spasm -- which constricts the bronchi, which traps air in the alveoli, which in turn causes the wheezing, kazoo-like sound of trying to force air through the small openings.
Of course the scariest part of asthma is an attack -- a period of time when it's extremely difficult to breathe. An attack may last for minutes or even days. Severe attacks can be fatal, but many treatments help asthma patients perform normal activities and enjoy life.
Minimizing Asthma's Effects on Your Lungs
First, try to avoid the things that trigger your attacks. You also might benefit from medications that open your airways during an attack. One of the more common types is a bronchodilator, inhaled medication that relaxes the muscles in your airway so the passage becomes larger, making room for more air to get through.
Another common treatment is steroid inhalation. Steroids are the librarians of the respiratory system; they tell your airway to be quiet by reducing inflammation in the area, and that can prevent the aging that inflammation causes. (That's why you should take your medication as prescribed -- you may feel well without drugs, but if you avoid chronic inflammation, you avoid the lung-tissue aging associated with inflammation).
And sticking to medication regimens prescribed by your doctor can make your RealAge as much as 0.9 years younger.
For a step-by-step approach to asthma management in an easy-to-understand format, access Asthma Basics, four printable booklets from by the Asthma Society of Canada.
Two Steps to Younger Lungs
1. Keep an eye on your lungs
Try this test: Run up two flights of stairs or walk six blocks at a brisk pace. If you can do either one without pausing to rest, your lungs are probably in pretty good shape.
Do this test every month as a way of monitoring your lung function and overall fitness level. One of the warning signs of decreased lung function is a change in your ability to complete the test -- from being able to do the stairs easily to suddenly having a lot of trouble with it.
2. Be a quitter, for a change
One of the greatest things you can do for yourself is clear your life of smoke -- whether you or someone around you is smoking.
Increase Your Lungevity
Air is everything. It gives you power. It blows out birthday candles. It tickles a lover's ear. It gives you life. You have the opportunity to make your respiratory system as efficient and clog-free as possible. By making a few simple changes -- and at least one life-altering change, if you're a smoker -- you have the ability to make your pipes powerful and your life longer.
